Chair of the stakeholder council (Maternity and Neonatal Programme): expression of interest

Overview

The Maternity and Neonatal Programme is pleased to invite Expressions of Interest from candidates from the health and wider sectors for the role of Chair for its Stakeholder Council.

The Stakeholder Council provides a forum for external stakeholders to influence and contribute to the NHS England Maternity and Neonatal Programme by scrutinising work and providing advice to the Maternity and Neonatal Delivery and Programme Board. The Council will act to support the Programme in its implementation of the Three-Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services. Its members are responsible for helping their organisations and the people they represent to better understand the aims of and progress with the Programme and to provide constructive challenge to the Programme and the Board.

The Maternity and Neonatal Programme are committed to implementing the recently published Three-Year Delivery Plan and has updated the governance structure to support this. This includes refreshing the format of the Stakeholder Council as it currently exists to ensure that the spread of expertise and voices across the Programme’s stakeholders are accurately represented.

As Chair of the Stakeholder Council, you will be leading this newly formed, dynamic and influential group of external stakeholders, taking on responsibilities for ensuring that the breadth of views of all the Council members are articulated clearly and can be taken account of in the activities of the Programme. You will also be responsible for communicating these views back to the Board, of which you will be a member, and Programme team, on behalf of the Council.

This is a high-profile and strategic role focusing on achieving sustained improvements to outcomes and experience. As such, it requires a chair with:  

• Extensive experience at the most senior level in healthcare, and   
• Senior forum chairing experience including providing constructive challenge to improve service user outcomes and experience, and reduce inequalities;   
• Excellent understanding of the NHS operating framework and a background in driving a complex agenda across organisational boundaries;   
• Strong knowledge of the maternity and/or neonatal sector and wider NHS and governmental context;   
• Commitment to and a track record of working with service users and empowering them to shape NHS services; and   
• A strong track record of partnership working and influencing with a range of stakeholders. 

We welcome those candidates from the healthcare sector and beyond with the relevant skills and experience. We welcome applications from diverse backgrounds, and from those with experience of improving outcomes and care experience for diverse communities.   

The Chair will be required to attend quarterly Board meetings and the quarterly Stakeholder Council meetings. The role is appointable at Band 9 level, at 0.1 FTE (two days per month).   

Please complete this online expression of interest form and attach your CV by midnight on 27 October 2023.

For more information please see the full job description.